specimens in blues and greens

all the while that i was attempting to live my alter-ego teacher self, and was unable to get into my shop,  i was fantasizing about making specimens.  i am so pleased with these new pieces.

specimens are collected as samples, for further study, to examine to determine genetic make up, classification, genre, etc. they are used to further knowledge, to better understand. information is extrapolated from them to answer questions or determine further study. collected specimens are more than mere keepsakes; they have a purpose and a value beyond the sentimental. they tell us something of origin, place, roots. these specimens do the same. they are earthly remnants represented in silver. they symbolize inner study and definition, collection, classification. i've been asking myself a lot of these questions lately, looking at my thoughts and feelings in new ways, trying to see patterns in my mind, my thinking, tracing my thoughts, seeing where they come from and where they go and what feelings they triggger. as someone very dear to me put it, "who are we and why we are, in the moment, how we are?" who are you and what does it mean? how do you classify yourself?

the calmness is the cradle of power necklace,

with kyanite, aquamarine, green tourmaline, amethyst, iolite, and labradorite

as well as amazonite, aquamarine, prehnite, moonstone, and kyanite wire-wrapped beads

the love, specimen necklace.  rainbow moonstone necklace

with rainbow moonstone, labradorite, tourmaline, and amethyst

as well as labradorite, iolite, kyanite, prehnite, moonstone, and apatite wire-wrapped beads

the specimen bracelet. kyanite and chalcedony  bracelet

with rose cut labradorite, faceted pink tourmaline, faceted polite, rose cut chalcedony, and kyanite

a lovely fern specimen with london blue topaz

the mandala earrings. chalcedony 

the resolve earrings. labradorite

the mating of the dove earrings

inspired by ian felice's song

From the Gulf of Aden, to the marble coast

To the rolling hills of Oregon
And the Tigris River and the wind that blows
In the hanging bowers of Babylon

I'm a fool for giving all that I gave
to you pitiful people when the world was made
And if I come back down from the stars above
It's just to watch the mating of the doves

I was there in Egypt when your king was slain
And it made me cry a million tears
And it formed a river in a western state
And it carved a canyon through the years

And I'm a fool for giving all that I gave
To you pitiful people when the world was made
And if I come back down from the stars above
It's just to watch the mating of the doves

So you can preach of Heaven and you can warn of Hell
And you can murder millions in my name
But I gave you Heaven and the only Hell
Is the one you made from fear and hate

and the mandala ring stack,

with pink tourmaline

all of these pieces are in the etsy shop now.

new pieces!

i have listed a bunch of new pieces in my etsy shop!  yay!  some of these pieces may look familiar to you.  some were sent to galleries and have returned.  a couple i have held onto for a while but now feel i am able to part with.  some have been slightly altered or reconfigured.  but all are now available.

the broken open necklace,

with chrysopase

a new child of the universe necklace,

with prehnite

the my dreams gave me away necklace, 

with labradorite and moonstone

the knowing she has wings necklace,

with laguna agate

the i am at peace necklace,

with moonstone and labradorite

a 3 wishes ring,

with ruby, opal and artisan glass flower

the labradorite marquis ring

the bird on broken wing bracelet

the specimen bracelet with tortoise bracelet,

with chalcedony

verse earrings with labradorite

verse earrings with kyanite, lepidolite, and ammonite

and verse earrings with prehnite and labradorite

i'm very excited to be creating again!  all of these pieces are now in the etsy shop :)

…and more changes

so, i am now longer teaching 5th grade.  i resigned from my position.  it turns out i don't have thick enough skin for public education.  and the truth is i don't want to.  it is just not a good fit for me anymore.  i did not make the decision lightly, but i did what is best for the safety and well-being of my family.  i do not believe in mistakes, but it has been a long time since i have made such a wrong turn in my path.  i am happy now to be back on my right path, being a mother, taking care of my family, taking care of myself, and making jewelry.

and, as a happy coincidence, my dear friend patty went to the tucson gem and mineral show right after my last day of teaching.  she brought me back some amazing treats!

gorgeous, high quality gemstones- tanzanite, chalcedony, chrysoprase, amethyst, prehnite, and larimar

rainbow moonstone

kyanite!

amethyst

labradorite

and prehnite

you can be sure that i am very excited to start turning these beautiful stones into jewelry.  my sketch book is filling up with ideas, and i've started a few pieces.  stay tuned for finished products!

in the mean time, i've been doing a lot of skiing, both with my family and by myself.

i've been visiting family,

and spending lots of good time with my girls.

there is also a brand new trail up above my town, and during the very warm spell we had recently, i was up there almost every day checking it out.  it's awesome.

and the dogs really love it.

also,  miss smarty pants hazel got third place in her school spelling bee,

and june continues to be spectacular.

i hope that you are all doing well, and i am really looking forward to creating some new pieces for you!

new endeavors

hello!  it's been so long since i've seen you.  i have really missed you.  but, since i have a week off from work, i thought i could check in and give you an update on my life these days.  so, yes, i have a week off from work because it is thanksgiving break because i am TEACHING FIFTH GRADE NOW.  yep. that's right.  i am a 5th grade teacher at dolores elementary school, hazel and june's school, just a few blocks from my home.

here is my fabulous class.

these are our class pets, a mama degu, alice, and her two daughters, thelma and louise.

and here i am, teaching a science lesson on sublimation on halloween.

(as an aside, glenn was cousin eddie for halloween.)

so, yes.  as you may or may not know, prior to the birth of hazel and june, and prior to the birth of silver sparrow designs, i was an elementary school teacher.  last year i started to really miss being in the classroom.  so i started to sub a bit to see if i really missed teaching or i just thought i did.  turns out i really missed it.  so i applied for a job last spring and i was selected to teach this amazing 5th grade class.  it has been, as you can probably imagine, a crazy transition and a huge challenge.  i struggle with many of the aspects of working in the public education field, but i am a very good teacher and i am proud to be back in the classroom.  i love teaching and i love my class.  (interestingly enough, i have been attempting to run a classroom blog, thesmithscoopdolores.blogspot.com, but it has proven to be a bit more difficult than i had imagined.  it's still a work in progress but you can go check it out if you'd like.)

recently the school had an event and invited bees knees to play.

and we had our family photo taken.

so what else has changed since you last saw me?  we have yet another small dog now, mason.  we got joe to be june's dog, but he absolutely bonded with hazel instead of june.  so, i was recently at the local animal shelter and there was this skinny little precious guy, begging to come live with us.  so we brought him home.

and he is as happy as can be.

and 100% junebug's dog.

so silver sparrow designs is not dead.  she is merely resting her wings, taking a break from flight for a bit.  i still get out to my shop on occasion, it is just not the main focus of my life right now.

my creative endeavors are different these days.  i have remodeled the living room, which was a blast.

i made all of these pillows, along with curtains and table runners, chair covers, etc. 

i'm also on a bit of a crochet kick.  i guess my hands are more drawn to soft mediums these days.

jo, olive, and mason on the first ski of the year yesterday

and look how huge these girls are!

i hope that everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving!